Guide to 24 hours in Aldeburgh

Staying for the weekend? If you have 24 hours to spare, take time out to explore Aldeburgh. With help from our friends at the Tourist Information Centre in Aldeburgh we've put this short itinerary together for you to enjoy.

Day 1:

3pm – Arrive in Aldeburgh, check into the White Lion early and settle in.

4pm – Walk from the Tourist Information Centre to Aldeburgh’s museum, The Moot Hall to learn the history of Aldeburgh.

5pm - Walk south along the sea front, taking in the fresh fish shacks, the boating pond and Snooks, Crag House, Jubilee Hall, the Lifeboat Station and the old fishing boats. Continue on past the Brudenell Hotel, through Fort Green car park and onto the Martello Tower.

6.30pm - Walk back through the High Street - taking in the array of shops - to the White Lion for dinner. Alternatively, choose from one of the many eateries in the town (2).

9.30pm – Stop off for an after dinner drink at the hotel bars or pubs and then retire back to the White Lion for the evening.

Day 2:

9am – Take a nice stroll to the Scallop at the North of Aldeburgh on the way to Thorpeness. It's about 20 minutes walk from the White Lion where you can sit on the Sculpture and take in the sea.

10am – By 10am you will be back on the high street where Aldeburgh is starting to wake up. Wander through the high street and climb the town steps to take in the views of Aldeburgh from the top.

Time for some retail therapy; Aldeburgh has a lot of unique independent shops with quirky gifts for yourself or to take back home as presents. The tourist information centre also sells souvenirs, stamps and postcards.

11am – Check out of the White Lion at 11, then take a moment to relax with a cuppa or coffee in Chopping’s Hill, Munchies, Aldeburgh Market or Crag Sisters before hitting the shops again before lunch.

1pm – Fish and chips is one of Aldeburgh’s specialties, choose from one of two fish and chip shops in the high street Aldeburgh Fish and Chips or The Golden Galleon, both with takeaway and The Golden Galleon has a restaurant to eat in as well.

2pm – Take a drive up the coast towards Thorpeness, redeveloped into a private fantasy holiday village by Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie, a Scottish barrister who bought the entire area from north of Aldeburgh to past Sizewell, up the coast and inland to Aldringham and Leiston.

Stop off there for a few hours, wander to the House in the Clouds and take a boat out on the Meare, weather permitting. Then have a nice afternoon tea in one of the cafes by the Meare, walk up the road to the Thorpeness Hotel & Golf Club for a late bite to eat or pop into The Dolphin pub for a nice refreshing drink before you start the journey home.

If you have time, pop to the Red House on your way home for an hour or two to learn more about Benjamin Britten.

Foot-notes

1.The Moot Hall is open 2:30pm – 5pm daily (April, May, September and October) and 12pm-5pm daily (June, July and August)

2.Tourist Information Centre sells souvenirs, stamps and postcards and will equip you with lists of places to eat out. Tourist Information Centre opening hours 10am-5pm Mon-Sat and 12-4pm Sunday April to September and 10am-3pm Mon-Sat October to March. Visit the Tourist Information Centre FaceBook page.

3.The Scallop was designed by Maggi Hambling and is in commemoration of Benjamin Britten. Visitors are encouraged to sit on the Scallop and look out to the sea like Britten did when he lived here.

4.Thorpeness is only a 5 minute drive north of Aldeburgh.

5.The House in the Clouds is an old converted water tower that is now self-catering accommodation that can sleep up o 12 people over 5 floors.

6.The Meare at Thorpeness was man-made by Stuart Ogilvie and is still just the same now as it was in the 1930’s.

7.The Red house is open Tuesday to Saturday between 2 and 5pm (June to end of September) Tuesday to Friday between 2 and 5pm (October to 20th December)

Please contact Red House between their opening hours for more details on: 01728 451700.

Things to do in Aldeburgh

With its stunning sunsets, wide skies and breath-taking scenery, Suffolk is an county of incredible beauty.Things to do in Aldeburgh